Best architect 2013: VMDO

VMDO 200 E. Market St. 296-5684 vmdo.com Runner-up: Wolf Ackerman 110B Second St. NE #201 296-4848 wolfackerman.com There are 403 steps from the foundation to the top floor of the torch in the Statue of Liberty. That’s the kind of information that’s pertinent to someone interested in architecture. For the average person, what’s more important […]

Best barber 2013: Staples Barber Shop

Staples Barber Shop Barracks Road Shopping Center 296-7354 Runner-up: Chung’s Barber Shop Albemarle Square Shopping Center 973-7578 They say the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is two weeks. But readers know that’s not even a consideration when they step into Staples for a trim. The barbers at the Barracks Road Shopping […]

Best outdoor dining 2013: Blue Mountain Brewery

Blue Mountain Brewery 9519 Critzer Shop Rd. (Afton) (540) 456-8020 bluemountainbrewery.com Runner-up: MAS 501 Monticello Rd. 979-0990 mastapas.com Negative 128.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the coldest temperature ever recorded, taken at the Russian research station in Vostok, Antarctica in 1983. Fortunately, temps at the Nelson County brewery, which you say is the best seat in town, never […]

Best bar 2013: Whiskey Jar

Whiskey Jar 227 W. Main St. 202-1549 thewhiskeyjarcville.com Runner-up: Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar 422 E. Main St. 202-7728 commonwealthskybar.com Omigosh, you guys. I love you. I love you like soooo much. And you know what else? I love Whiskey Jar. I like drinkin’ all the whiskey, and I like the live music, and, like, I […]

Best visual artist 2013: Isabelle Abbot

Isabelle Abbot isabelleabbot.com Runner-up: Kris Bowmaster bowmasterart.com Keen observation. That’s what it takes to win in this category—and Isabelle Abbot knows it. As she says, “It is by moving through the world that we understand its particularities.” Her impressionistic oil paintings zero in on local scenes with slashes of color on canvas or muslin. Kris […]

Best fitness class 2013: Athletic conditioning at ACAC

Athletic conditioning at ACAC 200 Four Seasons Dr. 978-7523 111 Monticello Ave. 984-3800 Albemarle Square Shopping Center 978-3800 1015 Heathercroft Cir., Suite 100 (Crozet) 817-2055 acac.com Runner-up: Zumba at ACAC At ACAC, the athletic conditioning classes led by Chris Collins and Blaise Spinelli are heavily attended—and with good reason. Both instructors deliver a cross-training workout jam-packed […]

Best electrician 2013: Robertson Electric

Robertson Electric 973-4348 robertsonelectric.com Runner-up: Design Electric (800) 476-5058 designelectric.com Human conductor Slavisa Pajkic, of Pazarevac, Serbia, can withstand a 20,000-volt current through his body without feeling a thing. He’s known as “Battery Man,” and says he can act as an insulator, conductor, and even a heater. The folks at Robertson Electric can do all […]

Best bank 2013: UVA Community Credit Union

UVA Community Credit Union 3300 Berkmar Dr. 300 Preston Ave. 1018 W. Main St. 325 Four Leaf Ln. (Crozet) 220 Wayles Ln. (Crozet) 964-2000 uvacreditunion.org Runner-up: Wells Fargo 123 E. Main St. 244-3900 2100 Ivy Rd. 984-1301 901 Emmet St. N 984-3710 wellsfargo.com In India, many temples have ATMs installed inside so you can make […]

Best winery 2013: King Family Vineyards

King Family Vineyards 6550 Roseland Farm (Crozet) 823-7800 kingfamilyvineyards.com Runner-up: Veritas Vineyard & Winery 151 Veritas Ln. (Afton) (540) 456-8000 veritaswines.com You know how, at a pig roast, people sometimes say the pig gave its life so that we could eat? Well, for every bottle of wine you drink, approximately 2.8 pounds of grapes gave […]

Best service 2013: The Local

The Local 824 Hinton Ave. 984-9749 thelocal-cville.com Runner-up: Maya 633 W. Main St. 979-6292 maya-restaurant.com The promise of a good menu gets people into restaurants, but great service keeps them coming back. No one knows this better than Peter Shankman, a devoted fan of Morton’s Steakhouse who once jokingly tweeted that the restaurant should meet […]